Propose Your Own Odyssey

Individually-designed projects

A. For an individually designed project, you must develop your own idea and plan
for its execution. Note that there is a checklist for this process inside the back
cover of the Odyssey Guide. Students working on a project as a group should submit
a single proposal. Be sure that all names and ID numbers are included on the proposal
form.

B. Select a sponsor as early as possible in the process. Look for someone who
has expertise in the area you are interested in or who at least will share your
enthusiasm for the project. You may wish to speak to several people before selecting
the one with whom you wish to collaborate. Please note that for projects in the
AC and UR categories your sponsor must be a member of the Hendrix faculty. For all
other categories your sponsor may be a member either of the faculty or of the administrative
staff.

C. Consider the categories carefully and select the one that matches your project
the best. In your written proposal you must speak to the criteria of the category
you have selected. If the match is not good, your proposal may be sent back to you
for revision.

D. Work with your sponsor to write a coherent 2-4 page description of what you
propose to do and what you hope to learn from the project. Give your project a concise
but descriptive title. You are encouraged to bring a draft of the proposal to the
Odyssey Office for advice.

E. Once your project description is complete and approved by your sponsor, fill
out and submit a Proposal Form with the description attached. Please note that the
form must be signed by both you and your sponsor and that it must be submitted before
you begin the project or very shortly after you have begun. Project proposals that
do not require funding are accepted year-round. The Odyssey Office does not accept
proposals retroactively.

F. You will receive notification by e-mail when your project is approved for
credit.

G. Once you have completed your project and met all the requirements of the category
you have selected, submit a Project Completion Form to the Odyssey Office. The form
must be signed by both you and your sponsor, and you must attach a brief project
description (150 words or fewer) describing your experience and what you have learned.
(See guidelines for writing the project description in this guide.) If an hours
log is required, attach it to your completion form. Your credit will not be registered
as complete until you have turned in this paperwork.

Please note: the Odyssey Office does not support or condone missing classes
to complete an Odyssey project. The only exception to this policy is for travel
to a conference that occurs during the academic year, and under these circumstances,
it is the student's responsibility to make up all course work missed.​